Anonymous NRI from Texas pays for operation on 10-month-old's heart

A good Samaritan from Texas offered to pay R1.2 lakh to clear Baby Sakshi’s blocked arteries, which will help her lead a normal life

Hours after mid-day reported that 10-month-old Sakshi Acharya required two surgeries to fix a hole in her heart and clear her blocked arteries, a person offered help from halfway across the globe.

Sakshi’s operation is scheduled for tomorrow, in which the doctors will clear the blocked arteries, which will allow free flow of blood to her lungs

On Sunday, this newspaper had reported that the first surgery of the infant would cost Rs 1.2 lakh, an amount her security guard father and sales executive mother simply did not have.

mid-day’s report on Sunday

The NRI from Texas, USA, who requested anonymity, reached out to this reporter and took the details of the case, including contact information of her parents and the doctors of Jupiter Lifeline Hospital in Thane.

“Though I’m not originally from Mumbai, I’ve spent some time working and living in Powai and make it a point to read mid-day online to keep in touch with the news of the city,” said the man who has been working for an energy company in Texas for the last eight years.

Helping handBy Monday afternoon, he transferred the entire sum for the first operation to the hospital account. Dr L Srinivas, a senior surgeon at Jupiter Lifeline Hospital said that the hospital has been flooded with phone calls from people willing to help Sakshi and her parents.

“Since the entire amount has been taken care of by the generous donor, we have politely declined other offers. We have asked Sakshi’s parents to admit the child today; her operation will be tomorrow.” “I have always heard stories of how kind-hearted Mumbaikars are, and now I can confirm it’s true.

We can now look forward to see Sakshi lead a normal life,” said Manoj Acharya, her father. Manoj added that they also received a cheque of R25,000 from another individual, which they returned.